"you!"

Zheng Zhongming jumped up in anger and stared at Chu Yuanchen with such ferocious eyes that he wished he could skin him alive.

His hands couldn't help shaking.

The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit. There is nothing much to say about this. However, how could he not care about his family at all?

The whole family was wiped out.

These four words alone were enough to hurt his heart.

His eyes were so red that they looked like they were on fire.

Chu Yuanchen had a cynical smile on his face: "Master Zheng, don't worry, everyone in your Zheng family will go down to accompany you one by one, and will never let you be alone."

He suddenly asked, "Where is the emperor going?"

Chu Yuanchen smiled and said, "Master Zheng, you took the emperor away. Have you forgotten?"

Zheng Zhongming felt a chill in his heart.

He swallowed and asked, "What about Darong?"

Chu Yuanchen asked and answered: "Dead."

Zheng Zhongming's body froze, as if he had been thrown into a cold cave in the cold winter, and his whole body felt cold.

Before Chu Yuanchen and Xiao Shuo came, he had actually thought about it carefully from beginning to end.

And now, everything is connected and fits together perfectly.

He no longer felt lucky and he finally understood where he had failed.

The combination of these two people is extremely terrifying. He is in the middle of the game and thinks he has won a move, but in the end, he is just a chess piece.

Their goal from the beginning to the end was to capture Darong without bloodshed and change the dynasty.

Every step they take is towards this goal.

It's a logical and popular decision.

And he...not only him, but even the emperor was a chess piece in their hands, and was placed in the most suitable position at the right time.

Until now!

Zheng Zhongming laughed at himself.

At this moment, he felt as if all his energy had been drained from his body, leaving him completely powerless.

He thought they were his rivals, but in the end, they never considered him as their rival. Is there anything more despairing than this?

He sacrificed his entire family's fortune and life, but in the end...

Zheng Zhongming rushed forward suddenly, the iron chains pulling him, making a clanging sound.

"Xue Yao!"

He shouted loudly, full of malice, and shouted: "Do you think Chu Yuanchen can tolerate you?"

"All members of the Xue family are the same. You never know where you are wrong."

"Abuse of authority! Abuse of authority!"

"In the past, the King of Lingnan and the late emperor were as close as brothers. He relied on his good relationship with the late emperor and showed no respect to him. He wantonly seized power in the vassal state. As a result, he suffered the disaster of destroying the top!"

Zheng Zhongming's mind was in a trance for a moment.

Back then, the late emperor and King Lingnan were very good friends. King Lingnan treated the late emperor more like a brother, a sibling, and a family member. This was fine when the late emperor was still the crown prince, but after the late emperor ascended the throne, King Lingnan remained the same. He was willing to die for the late emperor, but he lacked a bit of reverence when facing the late emperor.

The King of Lingnan was excellent in all aspects, and his riding, archery and martial arts were even better than those of the previous emperor. The Lingnan domain was also thriving under his leadership.

The late emperor was already resentful of several vassal kings, so he could not tolerate him even more.

The son resembles his father.

Haha, the son really resembles his father!

Xiao Shuo also holds great power and is also a close friend of Chu Yuanchen.

"Xue Yao!" Zheng Zhongming shouted, "Have you ever thought about whether Chu Yuanchen can tolerate you? In the end, you will only end up like King Lingnan, the rabbit is dead and the dog is cooked, the bird is gone and the bow is hidden."

"Xue Yao, you hold great power in your hands and your words have influence over the whole world. No monarch can tolerate you."

"Any one!"

Zheng Zhongming laughed and teased, "Maybe, you can take that position yourself, and from now on, you don't have to be afraid of anyone anymore."

No one can tolerate someone like Xiao Shuo.

He has been in power for many years, and everyone in the court respects and fears him.

As long as he is there, Chu Yuanchen is doomed to lose his monopoly.

Which emperor could tolerate the loss of power? He didn't believe Chu Yuanchen could tolerate it!

He wanted to add fuel to the fire between them. Even if he died, he would watch these two people fighting each other in the underworld.

Perhaps, in order to restrain Xiao Shuo, Chu Yuanchen would be willing to keep the Zheng family...

Zheng Zhongming clenched his fists, just wanting to give the Zheng family another chance to survive.

"Master Zheng, you are too worried." Xiao Shuo stood up and said with a smile, "Achen, let's go."

Zheng Zhongming: "..."

He smiled viciously and said, "Xue Yao, you will regret it. You will definitely regret it! Unless you kill Chu Yuanchen first, the fate of King Lingnan will be your future. You will regret it!"

Neither of them paid any attention to him and walked out side by side.

Only Zheng Zhongming's desperate and tragic voice kept echoing in the prison.

Zheng Zhongming stared at the two men. At first he told himself that the two were just trying to remain calm and had actually been on guard against each other for a long time. However, when the two of them walked side by side without any hesitation, all his calmness seemed to be shattered by a heavy hammer.

Why?!

Why...

There was disbelief in his eyes. His beliefs and rationality almost collapsed at this moment.

Zheng Zhongming slowly fell down, lying on the ground with his face up.

He thought of himself.

When he was young, he had a deep friendship with the emperor, who was still the crown prince. However, Qin Ke was too much like the late emperor, even in his suspicion. When he found out that Qin Ke was secretly on guard against him, he chose to strike first.

It was he who told Qin Ke that the late emperor wanted to depose the crown prince.

It was he who told Qin Ke that the late emperor wanted to change the throne to Qin Wei.

It was he who instigated Qin Ke to murder the late emperor.

It was he who encouraged Qin Ke to use the epidemic...

In fact, the late emperor never mentioned abandoning the throne. Perhaps he made that willful edict because he discovered before his death that it was Qin Ke who did it.

The previous emperor died. He and Qin Ke had the same secret, and Qin Ke trusted him and respected him even more.

Until Xiao Shuo showed his talent and replaced him...

Why can Xiao Shuo and Chu Yuanchen trust each other so much, why!

"Why!"

Zheng Zhongming shouted loudly, his eyes bloodshot.

Why...

"They will definitely turn against each other, definitely, definitely..."

Bang.

The iron gate closed and his screams could no longer be heard.

After Chu Yuanchen and Xiao Shuo walked out of the prison, the bright golden sunlight shone on them, bringing with it the warmth of spring.

Chu Yuanchen and Xiao Shuo looked at each other and smiled.

They made this trip specifically, of course, not just to listen to Zheng Zhongming's nonsense.

Zheng Zhongming was always arrogant and confident. For a military commander, death would not cause him too much pain. However, death shattered his faith and made him realize that all his calculations were only to benefit others, which made him feel extremely distressed.

Wei Xiu was waiting outside the prison. When he saw them come out, he walked over to greet them.

"I asked someone to call him here," Xiao Shuo said, "He will go to the palace with us later."

Xiao Shuo smiled and said, "Those people will let down their guard when facing a child. Wei Xiu, you stay in Zhanghua Palace."

They don't have enough troops, so they are still relying mainly on □□.

Everyone in the court seemed to be obedient, but Zheng Zhongming had been in the court for so many years that he also had loyal followers. Wei Xiu was young, and he would surely not arouse anyone's vigilance if he just stood there. With his ability, he could probably even tell the color of their inner clothes.

Wei Xiu said seriously, "Yes."

Chu Yuanchen praised: "You are a thoughtful kid, you did a good job this time..."

"Wei Xiu!"

"Wei Xiu!"

A sharp voice interrupted them.

Wei Xiu looked in the direction of the sound and saw Zheng Xintong.

Zheng Xintong had long lost her former exquisiteness. Most of her make-up was removed from her face. Her dark hair was loose and half hanging down, her pearl pins were disheveled, and her clothes were wrinkled and hung on her body.

In addition to Zheng Xintong, there were dozens of other people who were being pushed out of the prison van one by one. They were dressed in rich clothes and looked ferocious.

These were all members of the Zheng family, including Zheng Zhongming's brothers, close relatives, wives, concubines and children. Most of them looked panicked, but Zheng Xintong was the only one with a stubborn look on his face.

"Wei Xiu!"

Zheng Xintong stared at Wei Xiu, gritting his teeth and squeezing out a sound from between his teeth.

Last night, when she failed to capture the Zhenbei Palace, she felt something was wrong. Unexpectedly, the Zhenbei Army later entered the capital and took control of the city.

She also sent a pigeon to deliver a letter to her father, but the pigeon was shot down by an arrow before it flew out of the mansion. The Zheng Mansion was also surrounded, just like the Zhenbei Palace before. The situations of the two mansions were completely reversed.

At daybreak, the Dongchang police came to search the house, and all the members of the Zheng family were taken to prison.

The only thing she was thankful for now was that her father had escaped from the capital. When he returned with his troops, he would definitely come to rescue them...

Zheng Xintong had been comforting herself like this, telling herself not to be afraid and to stay calm, until she saw Wei Xiu here. She couldn't help but blurt out to call him. Facing Wei Xiu's gaze, she said angrily: "You lied to me!"

No matter how smart Wei Xiu was, he was still stunned by her words.

He was plotting against her, but wasn't she also plotting against him? Is there any right or wrong here?

"Wei Xiu. You lied to me..."

Zheng Xintong felt extremely aggrieved, "Wei Xiu, no matter how big your prejudice is against the Zheng and Wei families, I have never harmed you from the beginning to the end. Why..."

There were tears in her eyes, and she looked so pitiful and beautiful.

Unfortunately, Wei Xiu remained the same, and his tone did not change much as he said, "Miss Zheng, you and I are enemies, not friends."

Is there anything wrong with the two enemies scheming against each other? It's just a matter of seeing who has the better move.

"Enemy... not friend?"

Zheng Xintong seemed unable to believe that he would say such a thing.

"Miss Zheng," Wei Xiuxiu said as a matter of course, "If my situation and yours were reversed today, what would you do?"

Zheng Xintong: “…”

She bit her lower lip and said nothing.

She once thought that when her father accomplished his great cause, she would plead with Wei Xiu to spare his life, but she also knew that her father would not allow a tiger to harm him.

She moved her lips and wanted to say something, but she saw that Wei Xiu was no longer looking at her. He was just listening attentively to Captain Shen reporting the results of the confiscation of property to Xiao Shuo.

The house search has not yet been completed.

The Zheng family is wealthy and powerful, so of course it would take more than a few hours to copy everything, so they just brought the person to prison first.

Shen Qianhu gave a brief explanation and then said, "...Sir, we should be able to finish copying it tomorrow."

Xiao Shuo nodded slightly and said, "I am at ease with you doing your job."

After hearing Xiao Shuo's compliment, Shen Qianhu immediately became energetic. There was no sign of fatigue from a night of hard work on his face. He felt that he could continue working for another three days and three nights!

Captain Shen patted his chest and assured, "Don't worry, Lord Governor! I will rob the Zheng family thoroughly, leaving not even an ant behind."

Hearing this, Zheng Xintong felt an indescribable pain in his heart.

She wanted to say something, but a Dongchang man pushed her shoulder hard, and she stumbled. She couldn't help but look at Wei Xiu again, and saw that he was still listening to them seriously, without even glancing at her. At this moment, it was like a basin of cold water was poured down on her head, chilling her heart to the core.

never mind.

She decided that she would never care about Wei Xiu again.

The Zheng family will not end like this. As long as dad leads the imperial army and attacks the city, the Zheng family will be able to return to its heyday!

must.

Zheng Xintong raised his head, took a step forward, and walked into the prison with his head held high.

But soon, she met Zheng Zhongming, who was also a prisoner.

Zheng Xintong: “…”

All her hopes were shattered, her eyes rolled back, and she fell on her back.

Her last thought before she passed away was: Is she going to die?

Of course.

At that time, there were tens of thousands of people in the ancient city of Zhan, but only Xiao Shuo survived.

Now, I must repay you with my life.

It's finally over.

After Captain Shen left, Xiao Shuo's eyes narrowed slightly in satisfaction, and his brows became softer.

Chu Yuanchen had been looking at him, and suddenly said: "Brother, how about you ..."

"Nonsense." Xiao Shuo turned around and glared at him. Chu Yuanchen touched his nose awkwardly and swallowed all the unfinished words.

Chu Yuanchen continued, "Then, big brother, why don't you go to Minzhou?"

"Minzhou is a big place, and it can't get any worse. Ji Mingyang is just a warrior, and he definitely can't handle it. If no one is there to take charge, the disaster of the Ten-Perfect Cream and the pirates will be useless if Ji Mingyang relies on them. He can only fight a few battles."

Chu Yuanchen first disdained Ji Mingyang, then looked at Xiao Shuo pitifully and said, "Brother, you can't just ignore me."

"You promised to help me."

"You know, I only know how to fight. I don't know anything else."

Xiao Shuo was troubled by his annoyance.

He is just talking nonsense when he says that he only knows how to fight wars. There are many small countries around the Northern Frontier and it is very chaotic. How can it be managed well by just fighting wars? Then there is Northern Yan. Northern Yan is now honest and obedient. How can it be achieved by just fighting well?

Chu Yuanchen continued shamelessly: "If you don't care about me, I will run away, taking the lady, my mother, A Yan and Jiao Yang with me!"

“I really ran!”

"Run away at night!"

Xiao Shuo laughed and replied helplessly: "...Okay."

Chu Yuanchen was satisfied and said cheerfully: "Brother, when you go to Minzhou, take Wei Xiu with you. Sheng Yan will be there too, so let the two brothers see the world."

When Chu Yuanchen said this, Wei Xiu's eyes lit up and there was a little more excitement on his little face. He did not interrupt, but just looked at the two of them expectantly.

Xiao Shuo nodded and said, "Wei Xiu should go out and broaden his horizons."

Xiao Shuo was such an insightful person that he could certainly see through Chu Yuanchen's intentions.

Chu Yuanchen was afraid that after his great revenge, he would have nothing to worry about and would be helpless and become extremely pessimistic about the world...

Indeed, Fujian is quite difficult and should be quite interesting.

Dad misjudged the late emperor back then.

And there was no way he could have misjudged Yuan Chen.

Xiao Shuo smiled faintly and said, "Let's go back to the palace first."

Chu Yuanchen listened to him very much and agreed without saying a word.

Xiao Shuo added: "Let the Zhenbei Army pick up a few more people. The commanders should be here soon."

Not long ago, Xiao Shuo ordered the commanders and deputy commanders of the guards in various places to come to Beijing to report on their work. Now some of these people have arrived in the capital and are in the Zhanghua Palace, while others are still on the way.

In addition to the imperial guards and soldiers guarding the borders, most of the troops from various places were concentrated in the guards. By controlling the guards, it would be possible to ensure that there would be no military disasters.

Xiao Shuo sighed: "Taking the capital is just the first step..." There is still a long way to go.

Chu Yuanchen nodded hurriedly: "You can't just ignore me!"

Xiao Shuo: “…” My hands are a little itchy.

The order in the capital city had largely returned to normal, and the people were doing what they were supposed to do. No one even objected to the fact that the city gates would be closed for three days. Instead, everyone's face was filled with joy.

The streets of the capital were patrolled by the King of Zhenbei and the Imperial Guards, and the city was in good order.

In addition to the Zheng Mansion, Dongchang was ordered to search several other houses. As for the other mansions, the heads of the families had all entered the palace. The rest of the people were not only extremely worried, but also locked their doors tightly and dared not cause any trouble.

When they returned to the palace, it was already past noon and everyone was still sitting in the Zhanghua Hall.

Chu Yuanchen planned to keep them for a few more days. Although he had no intention of killing them, he had to make them realize that times were different now.

When Chu Yuanchen and Xiao Shuo stepped into Zhanghua Hall side by side, many people's shoulders stiffened visibly, and they immediately sat up straight. Xiao Shuo left Wei Xiu here, and then called away Lin Shoufu and the inner cabinet.

Chief Assistant Lin was in high spirits. Qin Jun had already told him about Chu Yuanchen's decision. When he thought that tens of millions of taels of silver would be in his hands soon, he became very excited. He looked at Chu Yuanchen with burning eyes, as if he had seen the God of Wealth.

For the sake of the money, Lin Shoufu immediately accepted the change of dynasty. When he was in Zhanghua Palace, he also advised several people in the inner cabinet:

"Why do we study to enter the government? To serve the emperor. As long as he is an emperor, it doesn't matter what his surname is. It won't be ours anyway."

Cabinet: “…” That makes a lot of sense!

Therefore, when Xiao Shuo called them out individually, they all cooperated well.

Anyway, Qin Ke had been away from office for so long, and they had long been accustomed to working with Xiao Shuo over the past few days. There was nothing to adapt to, and they gradually came back to their senses from their uneasiness and confusion.

In the past few days, Xiao Shuo has actually already sorted out the court. He knows who can be used and who cannot be used. He will make adjustments after they have "calmed down".

It seemed that Xiao Shuo was asking questions as usual, and he even took the lead, but in fact he was also trying to let Chu Yuanchen understand the affairs of the court. After all, Chu Yuanchen had never been exposed to these trivial matters of the people's livelihood in Darong before.

Chu Yuanchen listened silently without interrupting. This became intriguing in the eyes of everyone in the inner cabinet: Governor Xiao already had power over the government and the country, so why didn't he support a young man from the royal family to be a puppet emperor, but was willing to cooperate with Chu Yuanchen instead!

While he was daydreaming, the cabinet had already been led by the nose and given all the tasks.

Xiao Shuo asked them to go back to Wenyuan Pavilion to work, and Chu Yuanchen sent Shi An and others back to work, while the rest of them continued to stay in Zhanghua Palace.

Originally, it was fine for everyone to be "calm" together, but now that some people have been released, many people have become more obedient and their minds have been stirred.

It was not until the evening that Chu Yuanchen found time to return to the palace.

He still looked exhausted, but apart from some dark shadows under his eyes and some hair on his chin, he didn't look like he had been up all night.

"Achen."

Sheng Xiyan's eyes lit up and she smiled and walked over to him, "You're back."

Chu Yuanchen's peach blossom eyes sparkled. He looked at her and said solemnly, "I'm back."

His fingertips gently stroked her delicate cheeks and tucked her hair behind her ears: "I won't worry about you anymore."

Sheng Xiyan smiled like a flower, nodded vigorously, pushed him again and said, "Madam Tai and mother are watching you."

Madam Tai and Jingle: “I didn’t see it!”

Sheng Xiyan: “…” She burst out laughing.

The two walked in hand in hand. Chu Yuanchen then noticed that Sheng Xingan was also there. After greeting him, he said, "Father-in-law, Wei Xiu is still in the palace."

“No hurry.”

Sheng Xingan waved his hands quickly and greeted, "Achen... Prince... uh." He suddenly didn't know how to address him, so he simply said nothing and said, "I'm just about to go back."

Chu Yuanchen noticed his nervousness and took another look at the sword wound on his arm which had been bandaged and was still bleeding.

Mu Bai told him what happened in front of the mansion. Chu Yuanchen's smile deepened a little and he said, "Father-in-law, you should go back to the Ministry of Rites tomorrow. There are too few people in the court who I can trust. I have to trouble you to worry more."

Sheng Xingan was stunned for a moment, and suddenly he had a strong sense of mission.

Yes, the court is not stable yet, I have to work hard, not to mention being one of the best, but at least one of the best ten!!

After Chu Yuanchen greeted the Madam and Jingle, he sat down next to Sheng Xiyan and said, "Father-in-law, regarding Sheng, I had someone send her to Prince Zhao's mansion."

Sheng is Sheng Xingan's biological sister, so Chu Yuanchen still thinks he should tell him about this.

Sheng kept saying that it was for her daughter's sake, so she decided to lock them up together. It would save trouble and also be more "lively".

Sheng Xing'an had no objection at all. Sheng was going to put their entire family to death, and she couldn't expect him to plead for her. He was not stupid.

After talking for a while, Sheng Xingan said goodbye. Before leaving, Sheng Xiyan reminded him, "Remember to change the bandage on your arm every day. If you have a fever, let someone tell me."

Sheng Xingan quickly agreed, feeling relieved. After hesitating for a while, he finally made up his mind and asked, "Ah Chen, do you still mean what you said last time?"

He stared at Chu Yuanchen closely, determined to get a satisfactory reply.

Chu Yuanchen was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what he meant, and said seriously: "Having A Yan is enough for me in this life." If there is an afterlife, it will be the same in the next life as well.

Sheng Xingan was satisfied. He smiled sincerely and walked away with brisk steps. He didn't look like a wounded person at all.

After Sheng Xingan left, Jingle also sent them away early, and said as a matter of course: "The kitchen hasn't prepared dinner for you two, go back and ask someone to bring the food, don't disturb us while we eat."

Jiaoyang also smiled and waved to them.

Chu Yuanchen blinked at Jingle and thought: As expected, mother loves him the most! Then he happily held Sheng Xiyan's hand and went back.

Sheng Xiyan leaned against him comfortably.

She didn't say anything. Just leaning against him like this made her feel relaxed and happy.

The anxiety she had felt these days finally put her mind at ease.

They didn't speak for a long time, just holding hands tightly, swinging them casually with their steps.

Until Sheng Xiyan broke the silence first, leaning against him, and said casually with a lazy tone: "Wei Xiu has already told his father about his decision, and his father said nothing and did not respond."

However, she believed that Sheng Xing'an would accept this fact.

"Achen." Sheng Xiyan sighed, "I didn't expect him to come today." I didn't expect him to do that.

In her previous life, she thought Sheng Xingan didn't like her and didn't care about her, so she gradually distanced herself from him and never thought about changing anything...

Chu Yuanchen stroked her long hair and said, "People change."

Yes! Sheng Xiyan smiled softly and turned to look at his profile.

People change. In this life, she changed! She was reborn, and she lived the way she wanted.

She met Chu Yuanchen.

Chu Yuanchen turned his head and met her eyes, his peach blossom eyes became even more scorching.

He leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss on her beautiful lips, then left with a feeling of unfulfilled desire.

Looking at her juicy lips, his throat moved, and he looked away with difficulty, saying, "Ayan, we will move into the palace in two days."

"My elder brother and I have thought of several names for the country. You can take a look and see which one is good."

He held her hand and wrote on her delicate palm with his fingers. He wrote one and Sheng Xiyan read one:

“Hao.”

"Sheng."

"Xi."

…

The two smiled at each other from time to time, and Chu Yuanchen's eyes were affectionate and lingering.

The night wind blew gently, tangling the two people's hair together, wishing them to be together until old age.

Author's note: The main story is over. There will be a sequel tomorrow.